Blue meets Blue
by Caskettfever45
Summary: Alexis was off to see Meredith for her 19th birthday, but what happens when she comes back early? Includes Castle Beckett confessions and more! Rated T just to be safe. My first Fan-Fic, read and review! Chapter eight is up!
1. Chapter 1

Disclamer: I don't own Castle…

AN: This is my first Fan-fic story, so please comment on anything really… R&R! It's not really AU, but it takes place later in the Castle seasons.. Idk when. I don't know how often I'll be posting the chapters or how long this'll be, so please be patient with me.

I'll try to keep everyone in character

Thanks!

Chapter one:

"Excuse me, Detective Ryan?"  
>Kevin Ryan pivoted in his current stance, turning to face the origin of the words. His sea-blue eyes were glued to the paperwork in the manilla folder he was holding. His hair was neatly combed and he had a straight, attentive posture.<br>"That's my name!" he chirped gleefully, despite the load of paperwork he held. His team must have closed a case because the paper looked crisp with nothing written on it except for the ink from the computer. He shut the folder and turned his face upward when he spoke his next sentence, "How can I b- Alexis!" The detective grinned as he held out his arms in a welcoming embrace. The red-headed girl -scratch that- the young red-headed woman accepted the gesture and returned the embrace. The hug didn't last long; five seconds at the most. When they released from each other's arms, Detective Ryan was ready with questions. "I thought you were with Meredith in Californa! What happened there?" Alexis gave a light shrug and shifted her weight to her other side. She had in fact been with her mother in another state. Her 19th birthday wasn't too long ago, and she wanted to go visit her mother (surprisingly) and say hello because she hadn't seen her in such a long time. "It's a long story, I'll tell you about it later. You know what, I'll just give you my number and you can call me later." She pulled a post-it note out of her purse and wrote a list of numbers on it. She pulled the note of the pad of them and handed it to Ryan. "Hey, have you seen my dad? I wanted to surprise him here, but I don't see him anywhere," Alexis finally responded after a few slightly awkward moments passed by. Ryan nodded quite subtly, gesturing to a room with a noticeably espresso machine, "Check in the break room, he's probably there with Beckett; just closed a case." "Thank you Detective Ryan," Alexis gave him a smile that warmed his heart. He couldn't stop himself from saying, "Please, call me Kevin." Alexis's curved lips seemed to turn farther upward. "Thank you, Kevin," she repeated before turning to the break room to surprise her father.  
>Kevin Ryan released a sigh that he unconsciously held as he watched "The One and Only Richard Castle"'s daughter walk away. Ryan returned to his desk and placed the post-it note down on his desk behind his name card. He lifted a pen out of his unused coffee mug that read: World's Greatest Detective. He decided to keep the mug as a penpencil holder; he didn't want to stain the inside, or have it tragically break falling from a careless pair of hands. It was given as a birthday gift to him from his partner and close friend, Javier Esposito. Javier would give his partner a wave with his hand, cheer him up with a joke, and be there in hard times. "I'm your partner, that means I'm with you 'till the wheels fall off", Ryan had once told him. Ryan uncapped his pen and put it to the paperwork.  
><strong>Sigh... This is going to be a long day..<strong>

Alexis peeked in the door to the break room, curiously wondering if her father was in there. She saw him and Detective Beckett. The detective had her back turned to him, holding a coffee mug in her right hand. Alexis was about to walk in when her father took Kate's elbow in his grasp.  
>Whoops.. Bad timing..<br>Alexis pulled back so she couldn't see the partners, but she could hear them quite clearly.  
>"Kate.. Look at me."<br>No answer.  
>"Kate, please." Castle's voice was soft and reassuring. There was no harsh tint to it or anything.<br>"What," Kate said, trying to match Castle's tone, but it came out sharper than she intended.  
>"I'm sorry, and I need to explain."<br>"Castle, right now isn't the best moment, we're in the break room and there's no telling what could happen; we've got no privacy, and I need to get to my paperwork. Ryan's not going to like doing that alone."  
>"Actually, it is a good time."<br>A pause..  
>"I didn't want to tell you, I couldn't. I was trying to protect you."<br>"How can you protect me by digging farther into my mother's case!"  
>Alexis was startled. Her father was working on Detective Beckett's case and he never told her? The redhead could understand why he would keep it a secret from her, but Beckett?<br>"If I let you know I was working on your mother's case, you wouldn't be safe; wouldn't be protected. The man I talked to.. Said he could keep you safe, but if I told you any new details or that I was still looking into it, you would be in danger.. I wanted to keep you protected."  
>"Thanks for your concern, Castle, but I'm a cop, I have a gun, and I know how to use it; I can protect myself."<br>Alexis had heard enough. She began to sneak away to let the pair have some privacy, but she didn't go unnoticed. "Alexis?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I still don't own castle.. If I did, it probably wouldn't be as good of a series that It is. I wouldn't of been able to think of Cuffed, Heartbreak Hotel, The Double Down (maybe that one ;) ), or even Under the Gun..

Javier Esposito stepped out of the elevator from his visit to his favorite Medical Examiner, Lanie Parish. They had finally gotten back together after a deafeningly long time when they admitted they still had feelings for each other. Esposito whistled cheerfully, but he was soon stopped in his tracks when he saw the famous Richard Castle's daughter. He hadn't seen the gorgeous blue-eyed redhead for quite awhile and was going to say hello, but she reached his partner first. Esposito watched curiously, waiting to see how Kevin Ryan would react. The two hugged when Ryan finally realized who he was speaking to and Esposito raised an eyebrow in question. After a few moments, he saw Alexis write down something on a piece of paper.  
><em><strong>probably her phone number,<strong>_ Javier concluded as he continued to watch, chuckling to himself. Once Alexis finally left, Esposito joined Ryan at his own desk that was across from his partner's.  
>"What was that about?" he asked as Ryan picked up a pen from his mug and began to write on the chunk of paperwork.<br>"Oh, Alexis? She came back early from California and was wondering where Castle was," the Irish detective replied, not peeling his eyes from the paper. Esposito scanned Kevin Ryan's desk, busily looking it over. Finding what he wanted, he lifted a small piece of paper from the desk. "And may I ask what this is?" he asked, grinning while he held the note in front of himself so Ryan could see it properly. Kevin turned his head up to gaze at the note. Hid face grew flushed and he muttered a curse under his breath that Esposito couldn't quite catch. "Give me that!" he snapped, dropping his pencil and snatching the paper from his partner's hand. Detective Ryan continued his mumbling after he put the note in his pocket and the pen he picked back up to paper.  
>Esposito leaned back in his chair and gave a heavy sigh. "You know, Ryan," he began to say, fiddling with a pencil between his right hand fingers. "If you don't tell me about this, I will find out anyway. Probably from my chica, or maybe Beckett. Even worse, Castle could find out." Ryan didn't say anything, but Esposito could've sworn he saw his partner roll his eyes. "Bro, I know things are tough; break ups always are. Jenny, she was special. I thought she was the perfect one for you too! The way your face lit up every time you saw her, you'd be more comfortable around the precinct, yeah we noticed." that earned a glare from Ryan, but Esposito pretended he didn't see a thing and he kept on rambling, hoping to get some words out from Kevin. "Just because Jenny broke off the wedding and with you doesn't mean that you can go hitting on anyone you want. Well.. It kind of does.. But Castle's daughter, bro. You've gotta have some good reason for that and keep it subtle.. Imagine when he fin-" Ryan's face was red beginning from his neck all the way up. He looked at his partner, his blue eyes blazing with fury. "Javier, Jenny and I are over! That is in the past. And I was not hitting on Castle's daughter, she gave me her phone number so we could just talk. Nothing romantic, just what happened on her trip and why she came back early!"<br>"Riighht.." Esposito mumbled, not exactly quietly. "Still bro," he sat up in his chair. "keep this away from Castle, you know how protective of Alexis he is." Ryan sighed and turned back to his paper. "I know bro.. I know, but there's _nothing_ going on between us! Are you going to do your share of paperwork or sit around all day?" Detective Esposito held back a hearty chuckle. He was clearly amused by how his partner was acting, but he didn't want Ryan madder than he already was. Not after that doughnut incident...

Alexis stopped in her tracks.  
><em><strong>Oh no..<strong>_  
>The redhead stood up to her full height. She was thoughtless, wordless, speechless. She has no idea what to say, or what was going to happen. She wanted this to be a surprise. She didn't want to barge into her father's private conversation, which would be rude. She didn't need to know what they were talking about, it was none of her business, but she had heard all of it. Every single word in that one room, she had heard. Why wasn't the door closed? She had wondered when she reached the break room. Perhaps they weren't going to talk about it, but the topic just popped up.<br>"When did you get here..?" Castle asked. His voice was hoarse from speaking, more like yelling, but still. Kate Beckett's green eyes were glazed with a mixture of fury and sadness. No emotions were held back during their conversation. "I just got back from California and wanted to surprise you, but it looks like you guys are having a private conversation," Alexis replied cautiously, shifting her feet uneasily. Richard Castle smiled -Alexis could tell that it was half-fake- and took his daughter in a loving embrace.  
>"I'm glad you're back, Pumpkin," Castle mumbled into her hair. "It was too long." Alexis grinned at her father's words and gently pushed away from the hug. "Really, dad? I'm away for a week and you say it's too long?" She questioned kind-heartedly. "I'm going to college soon and I'll be gone for much longer."<br>"Ugh, don't remind me."  
>The redhead decided to have some fun with this and drive her father crazy.<br>"Before you know it, I'll be off looking for my own apartment, have a new boyfriend, go to crazy late-night parties..."  
>Castle threw up his hands and plugged his ears. "La la la, not listening!" he shouted above Alexis's voice. Alexis giggled and glanced over at Detective Beckett. She was still standing in the same spot as she was earlier, but this time her lips were curved up in a small smile of amusement. Alexis looked back at her father before Kate noticed her glance. She and Alexis weren't the best of pals, but after the bank explosion with Castle and Martha being safe and unharmed, Alexis knew she could trust Kate more than she used to. She hoped that her dad and the detective would forgive each other and be friends once again, and soon. She enjoyed Kate's presence every now and then, and it was good to have a friend who is a cop. Castle stopped his wailing soon after Alexis quit talking about leaving for college and getting an apartment.<br>"I'll see you later dad, I'm going to go see Grams at the house, and leave you two to help Kevin and Esposito with the paperwork; heard you guys closed a case. I'll see you sometime later too, Detective Beckett," Alexis said, knowing she should leave and say hello to Martha. "I'll see you tonight, sweetie, be safe!" Castle responded, giving her a farewell smile. "Bye Alexis," Kate called as the girl made her way out of the precinct.  
>Alexis continued her way through the precinct and made her way to the elevator. "Talk to you later, Kevin!" She said as she passed by the two detectives. "You too, Alexis, stay safe," Ryan replied, ignoring the suspicious look that Esposito gave him. Alexis stepped into the elevator and pressed the lobby button as she prepared to go home.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I still don't own castle.. If I did, it probably wouldn't be as good of a series that It is. I wouldn't of been able to think of Cuffed, Heartbreak Hotel, The Double Down (maybe that one ;) ), or even Under the Gun..

AN: Thank you all for the kind reviews; they make my day with a smile. I took the advice from one of you awesome peoples and put more space between the reading.

Kevin Ryan split the paperwork in his hands and handed part of it to Esposito for him to work on.

The detective continued to write on his part, neatly writing legibly as he always did. He flipped over a page and scanned over the next one.

Before he began on the fresh page, he turned his head to make sure that Alexis had found her dad. What Ryan saw was not what he expected.

"Hey bro, mom and dad are fightin' again," the blue eyed detective informed his partner.

Esposito looked up from his paper with a smirk. "20 bucks on Beckett."

Ryan shook his head and went back to his paperwork. "I don't care who's winning, I'd just like Castle to stay in the precinct. He helps close the cases faster sometimes."

"Whatever, Bro, I know you just want to stay on Castle's good side," Esposito chuckled, watching the writer and his muse fight.

Ryan returned to his papers as soon as Castle noticed his daughter was crouching by the break room door. It really was none of his business to watch what went on between the father and daughter... And between the author and detective.

Detective Ryan hoped that what he saw with Castle and Beckett wasn't a private matter. If it was, it would be quite awkward.. Why wasn't the door closed? If they didn't want anyone to hear their conversation, wouldn't they close the door?

Keeping that thought close in his mind, Kevin began to feel a little less guilty. He still felt guilty, just not as much as he did before.

Before he knew it, Alexis was walking past him with a goodnight call, "Talk to you later, Kevin!"

Kevin Ryan raised his hand in a goodbye and answered, "You too, Alexis, stay safe."

Esposito flashed the other detective a suspicious look. As soon as the elevator doors closed, he raised an eyebrow and asked, "'Kevin', really?"

"I just let her use my first name, it's no big deal," Ryan shrugged off Esposito's suspicion.

"Not a big deal? You two are already on a first name basis and you haven't even texted the girl!"

"She's been busy. I know you saw her talking with her dad, I just didn't want to interrupt anything."

"Whatever, Ryan. Whatever you say," Esposito sighed as he put the pen in his hand back to paper.

"Hey guys, you got the paperwork?" Kate Beckett asked, her voice unusually cheerful. This was definitely something the detectives didn't hear a lot during work hours.

Ryan turned in his chair, the wheels of the chair rolling against the hard wood floor as he did so. It was then, when Ryan was handing Kate her paperwork that he noticed something different.

Beckett's eyes were glowing as if she were actually happy. She had a smudge of lipstick off to the side of her face, and it looked reapplied to her lips. The last thing Ryan saw was that Kate was standing strangely close to Castle, or was it that Castle was standing close to her? Anyway, they were standing closer than they often did. Usually when they stood next to each other, they would stand a distance away, other times, their shoulders or arms would almost touch. This time, they were standing arm to arm. Kevin glanced down at the pair's hands. Nope, not holding.

Ryan switched his gaze back up to the detective's face and handed her a stapled packet of paper. She took it with a nod and stepped back over to her desk.

"Espo, did you see Beckett and Castle?"

Esposito nodded eagerly, grinning so widely that his smile could've fallen from his face.

"Yeah, of course I did!" He pulled out his phone and pressed one of the speed dial buttons. "Gotta call Lanie, I'm not going to let this one slip. Hey Chica, you're not going to believe what I just saw..."

Ryan took advantage of this moment to pull his phone from his pocket and put Alexis's number in his contact list. With that taken care of, he sent her a quick text. Before he flipped it closed, he got a text from Castle. Ryan opened the message and it read: _Thanks for keeping it a secret, I owe you.  
><em>  
>It must've meant Johanna Beckett's murder case of course.. Castle had told Ryan that he was working on it behind Beckett's back, and not to tell her. So he kept that promise, even though he wanted to tell her badly.<p>

Detectives don't keep secrets from each other.. Except for some that may have to.

***

"look, Kate, like I said, I'm sorry. For keeping this a secret from you, for disobeying your trust in me. For everything I did wrong to hurt you, I'm sorry," Richard Castle apologized over and over again.

Kate Beckett looked up at her friend, partner, her always.  
>"Rick," she murmured quietly, purposely avoiding his gaze.<p>

"I also have kept something from you..." She paused, instantly regretting what she said. To tell the truth, she was scared, and she knew it. She was scared of losing Castle as her friend and partner.

"I remember." That's all it took to get Castle's undivided attention span of a cocker spaniel.

"You... You remember?" He was slowly inching toward her.

"I remember Montgomery's funeral. My shooting. Everything." Her face was down and eyes were glued to the ground.

"Kate... Look at me," Castle told Beckett quietly. When she didn't lift up her head, Castle placed one of his hands under her chin and pulled it up slightly.

"That's better," he murmured, brushing a loose piece of hair off her face with his thumb. "You remember... Everything?"

Kate Beckett nodded slowly, eventually bringing her green-brown eyes to Castle's sapphire blue ones. "I remember what you said, what happened, everything."

Castle wanted to jump away and do a fist pump in the air. He knew Beckett was hiding that! When he asked her one time on their way to meet a dead body, he knew there had to be a reason why she responded so quickly.

They continued to look at each other for awhile, green meeting blue, and Castle's hand still under her chin.

"Why did you keep it from me?"

"The same reason you didn't tell me that you were working on my mother's case. I want you to continue to be my friend.. My partner.. I was scared that if I told you, you would get mad, run off, and I would never see you again."

"Kate, you know I could never do that... I'll always be there for you. Always."

It was that one word that always made Beckett's heart burst with happiness._ 'Always'_. It meant so much if said at the right time by the right person.

"Thank you," she managed to choke out, biting back tears of happiness and relief.

Castle brought his arms around her in a loving hug. He let her rest her head on his shoulder and he swayed gently. If Beckett didn't have her heels on, she probably would've had to let her head lean on his chest, but she had them on.

Castle released her from his embrace, but he continued to hold her shoulders in his hands. "Just warning you, I'm going to have to kiss you know," he informed her quietly, his tone of voice barely above a whisper.

He leaned in slowly and waited a couple of moments while they were nose to nose. He was willing to let her back off if she wanted, but she didn't.

Castle kissed her lips gently, covering hers with his own. It was soft and slow, but had all the passion in it one could wish for.

Kate responded after a few moments and took control. She lifted her arms and wrapped them around his neck. She released a contented sigh, smiling as they parted and rested their foreheads against one another's.

Castle kissed Beckett a few more times from the corner of her lips, over her jaw and stopped at her ear.

"That was amazing," He whispered. He really meant it this time and didn't try to cover it up with a 'the way you knocked that guy out'.

Kate Beckett couldn't help from laughing a couple times. She grinned at Castle, her eyes sparkling with pride and admiration.

"It was. You are amazing," She responded, turning her head and giving him a peck on the nose. She took her arms from around the author's neck and beckoned him to follow.

"I've gotta do paperwork, you coming?"

**

"Grams!" Alexis greeted her grandmother as she walked through the door. She grinned from ear-to-ear and threw her arms around her in a hug.

"Good to see you, kiddo," Martha responded, returning the embrace without hesitation. "did the porcupine prick you with too many needles?"

Alexis laughed and released her hold on Martha Rodgers. "That's pretty much what happened. Grams, she drives me crazy and I just wanted to say hi because it was my birthday."

"I know, and I'm sure it was good to see her again, even if she drives you insane."

"I know," Alexis sighed. "What have you been up to lately, or do I not want to know?"

"Oh, the same old things I've always done. My career on the big screen (or theatre)." Martha looked over at her grand-daughter. "Is that too terrible for thine ears to hear?"

"No, it's okay. Much better than I thought you might say, but you wouldn't say things like that in front of me. At least I wouldn't think so," Alexis replied. A beep on her phone went off, and she took the mobile device from her purse.

She looked at her phone and opened the text message she got. It read:  
><strong><br>**_**Hey Alexis, finishing up this case's paperwork. I'll be free soon.  
>Kevin Ryan<strong>_

Alexis flipped open her phone and began to text a return message.

_**Hey Detective Ryan (Kevin)! I don't really want to be cooped up in my room all day. How about I meet you for lunch when you finished your paperwork?  
><strong>_  
>Moments later, Alexis got another text.<br>_**  
>Sure, I'll meet you outside of Castle's loft, erm, where you are now.<br>P.S. Just call me Kevin ;)**_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I still do not own anything. At all.**

**A/N: sorry for keeping ya'll waiting.. To tell the truth, I just haven't been writing that much :-/ this chapter is pretty much fluff, just to let you know. And BTW, if you didn't notice, I'm not the kind of person that uses swear words a lot.**

**Anyways, to the next chapter!:**

The doorbell rang and Alexis jogged down the stairs from her room. "Going out for lunch with a friend, Grams!" she eagerly responded to the questioning call. She reached the door and took a deep breath.

Here goes nothing!

She unlocked the door and a smile captured her lips when she saw a familiar blue-eyed face.

"Hi Alexis, ready to go?" The detective asked her, a smile also playing along his face. He was still in his work clothes; a nice suit and a tie. Alexis figured he came here as soon as he was finished with his paperwork.

"Yeah," Alexis replied, walking out the door to the loft. They walked side by side, keeping awkwardly quiet.

"You look nice," Kevin told her.

She was pretty; she wore a sapphire blue shirt that matched her eyes and jeans jacket along with pair of denim slacks. Her hair was draped down the back of her shoulders, and she wore 2 or 3 inch heels on her feet that clacked against the ground as they walked.

"You're not too repulsive either," Alexis quipped, amusement glimmering in her eyes.

Kevin chuckled in response. "Thanks, glad to know I won't be scaring you off."

They were speechless for the rest of the way down the building. Once they got into Ryan's car, Alexis broke the silence that was in the air again.

"So, how's my dad and Detective Beckett?"

Ryan started the engine and backed out of his parking space.

"Well, I can tell you that they resolved whatever problem they were fighting about."

Alexis brightened up knowing her dad and Beckett were still friends. "Really?"

"Yeah, they were trying to be subtle about the whole thing, but Esposito and I are masters at deciphering things from the clues."

That made Alexis give a small chuckle. Almost a laugh, but not quite.

"That's good. So where are we going?" Alexis asked him. She had tried to ask him earlier but he said nothing.

"A little diner I like to call, Remmy's," Kevin Ryan replied with a mischievous grin.

"Great, I love that place."

Minutes later, Ryan pulled his car into a parking space in front of the diner. He took his keys out of the ignition and hopped out the car before Alexis could even open her door to get detective went to the passenger side of his car and opened the door for the redhead.

"Chivalry still lives," Alexis commented as she stepped out.

Kevin kept a continuous smile on his face. He opened the diner's door and let Alexis go inside Remmy's first.

They sat down opposite of each other at a booth and were soon waited on by a waitress who took their drink orders.

"So, tell me what happened over your trip," Kevin persisted watching her facial expressions carefully while leaning against the soft backing of the booth.

"Well, everything was going well at first. We had some good times together shopping and hanging out. After the days went on, everything just got dull. My mom wasn't doing _anything _with me, she ignored my texts, she was acting like I wasn't even there! I mean, I was there to visit for awhile, I just felt like I wasn't welcome or wanted there at all. My mom was never there, and I should have remembered that and not even went. She was on the phone most of the time, and when I tried to speak with her, she just shooed me away. I was so frustrated with everything that I bought a plane ticket without thinking about it, and you know the rest," Alexis summarized what happened over her trip.

**(A/N: I know, that was terrible, but I couldn't think of anything else!)**

Ryan sat up straight now. These were things he certainly didn't like to hear. He reached out with his right hand and lifted up Alexis's downcast face by her chin.

"I'm sorry, Alexis. You have to remember, your dad loves you so much, your grandmother does too. I'm quite sure anyone at the precinct will do anything to make sure you're always safe," He told her, sweeping away a single tear that was resting on her cheek.

Alexis took Ryan's wrist (the wrist of the hand that held her chin up) and put his hand down against the table.

"Thanks, Kevin," she said quietly, moving her own hand down and squeezing his hand gently before releasing her grip on his hand.

...:D

Alexis sat down on a bench in the park that Kevin had pointed out. They had finished their lunch and agreed on taking a walk to end the day. As soon as the park came in view of Ryan's sight, the detective showed the red headed girl over to a bench.

"You know, I used to come here with my mom when I was younger. My mom would lean back right at this exact bench and watch me play with the other kids in the park," Ryan said, half to himself, but mostly to Alexis. He turned around in his seat and searched the wood with his fingers.

"There is it!" he exclaimed. "It's my initials, KR, engraved right here. My mom helped me put those on the bench one day that we were here." Ryan ran his fingers over the two letters embedded in the wood surface.

"When I was younger, I thought carving your own name into wood would bring back luck," Alexis stated, now chuckling about how silly it sounded to her now.

Ryan glanced at her with a questioning look of disbelief.

"What?" Alexis rolled her eyes at him. "My dad told told me all the myths."

Kevin chuckled quietly. He could imagine Castle telling his daughter at the age of four about the Tooth Fairy and Santa Clause, but eventually revealing the truth when she was older and already knew that they were fake.

"I could see that," Ryan finally said. He paused for a moment, wondering if he should ask the question he had in mind.

"What was your favorite outside game to play?"

Alexis turned around in her seat so she was facing the correct way. She raised an eyebrow at Kevin, along with a smirk.

"Kick the Can," she replied.

"Kick the Can?" Ryan questioned her, his head slightly cocked to the side like a confused puppy.

"You haven't heard of that one? Well, it's kind of similar to tag. You've gotta play this during nighttime, it's a lot more challenging. There's one person that guards the can, but also goes to search for other hiding people. If the guard sees someone, he or she has to say their name. If he or she gets it right, the person that was hiding goes to jail. (there's one place picked for jail at the beginning of the game.) the guard has to not only catch people, but make sure the can is not kicked over. If the can is kicked over by a hiding player, then all the people in the jail are free and a new guard is chosen," Alexis explained.

"Well, what was your favorite outside daytime game?"

"Tag I suppose.. I've always enjoyed that one. Why do you ask?"

"Because you're it!" Ryan prodded her in the shoulder and sprinted off.

"You little..." Alexis scowled. She raced to her feet and ran after Ryan.

The detective was fast, faster than Alexis expected. She knew he needed to be quick for his job, but boy, could he run! Alexis was also speedy herself. After a matter of time, she eventually caught up with Ryan's speed.

Ryan glanced over his shoulder to see how close he was just as Alexis tackled him to the ground by grabbing his waist and pushing him down.

Ryan fell with an "oof!". He was certainly surprised as the strength of the red-head, but he had a few tricks up his sleeves. He twisted his legs and waist with one sharp movement and quickly went up to his feet.

"Think you could get me that quickly, eh?" Ryan smirked while extending his arm out.

Alexis rolled her eyes again and took Kevin's extended hand. He pulled her up to her feet. Once she could stand, she released his hand and brushed some dirt off her jeans.

"I gotta admit though, you are pretty strong," Ryan said, trotting up beside as she began to walk through the park.

"You only get that way when you work out at a gym," Alexis replied, flipping out her phone and taking a quick look at it. She replied to a few massages, then took a gander at the time.

Was it really 4:00 already?

She put her phone back and looked at the sky. Yep, it was four.

Alexis turned to the detective. "Hey, Kevin, I've got to get back to the loft soon; my dad said he's going to be cooking dinner, and I want to make sure he doesn't light the house on fire, just in case."

"Sure Alexis, whenever you need to go is fine with me," Ryan responded to her.

Alexis studied his face. She had always admired how his eyes were blue like the sea, and her own father's eyes. She also took a liking to the neatly combed hair that rested upon his head.

"What'cha doin'?" Ryan's words brought Alexis back to reality and her eyes met with his.

"Me? Nothing, just waiting for you," She replied innocently.

"Alright, well I probably should get you back; time flies by fast." Ryan began to head toward his car. He looked over his shoulder, seeing that Alexis was still standing in the same spot.

"You coming?"

"Oh, yeah sorry about that, just thinking about something," Alexis said when she reached him.

Ryan wasn't going to ask what was in Alexis's mind. If she wanted to tell him, she would on her own time.

**A/N: I'm gonna end there... Just because I can. ;)**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

**A/N: I finally have a plot! :D This chapter will probably be somewhat shorter than the others (i think!), but it's still a chapter, right? Well, I don't know how short it'll be if I add a bunch of different peoples' perspectives! Anyways, to the story we go!**

Sunlight peered through the curtains in a small room. In that said room, a sleeping figure laid on a full-sized bed. Her red hair tumbled down from her scalp and down past her shoulders. Momentarily, she arose from the bed and gave a stretch, extending her arms with a yawn.

Alexis rubbed her eyes in an effort to pull the sleep away from her eyes. She blinked a few times, then cast her gaze toward the digital clock and frowned when she read the time: 10:23

_I've slept longer than I intended to._

Alexis emitted a sigh and hopped up from her bed. She quickly changed out of her pajamas and into something comfortable to wear for the day.

She bounded down the flight of stairs that lead down into the living room/kitchen. She slowed her speed a bit and entered the kitchen.

"Dad?" Alexis called. The writer was nowhere to be seen in this room.

Alexis hopped over to the opposite room from the kitchen. He wasn't there either.

She began to thoroughly search the secluded house for her grandmother and her father. She couldn't find them anywhere!

Alexis presumed that her dad had probably gotten a call from Beckett about a new case. She didn't know for sure. Most of the times he would send her a text or leave a note on the counter if Alexis hadn't been awake at the time of his leaving.

Alexis returned to the kitchen and glanced over at the counter that usually held her father's notes. There was nothing there except the sleek countertop.

_Something fishy's going on..._

Alexis began to run through all the possible scenarios that could have happened to explain her father and grandmother's disappearance.

_Shopping? Probably not._

_Book signing? He would have told her about it._

_New Case? It's possible, but that wouldn't explain Martha not here._

_Kidnapping?_

Alexis paused there in her thoughts. What if they were kidnapped? She didn't want to assume the worst anytime soon.

_Kidnapping? Could happen, but why wouldn't they take me too?_

Alexis's eyesight suddenly got blacked out. She knew she had her eyes open, so there had to be something covering her eyes.

The redhead began to struggle against the blindfold, but her efforts were soon slowed when she flinched as a needle pricked into her neck and someone injected who knows what.

Her mind got fuzzy and she began to shut down. She relaxed and her head hung down because not only could she not find the strength to hold it up, she didn't even know It was drooping.

Alexis was barely conscious, fading in and out from knowing what was going on, and what the heck was happening.

Detective Kevin Ryan sat at his desk, hand on his jaw and slouched over. His eyes were half-closed, and he stifled a sigh as he sat at his desk.

Nothing big was happening at the precinct. Beckett's Team had finished their most recent case, written the paperwork, and they were just chilling and enjoying as the day went by.

Ryan leaned back in his chair and watched curiously as Beckett flicked a pencil back and forth between two fingers. She finally turned to Ryan and Esposito with a burning question.

"Have you guys seen Castle recently?"

"Nope," Esposito replied, moving a red seven over a black eight in a game of solitaire on his computer. "Have you tried calling him?"

"Yeah, it just went to voicemail. I know I shouldn't be worried about him, but I haven't spoken to him since yesterday," Beckett replied.

"Maybe he doesn't see the excitement of not having a case and decided to ditch us until we have a new body drop," Ryan suggested with a shrug.

Beckett nodded slowly. She would try calling him again later today. She turned back to her desk for no longer than 5 seconds, then she stood up. "I'm going to go see Lanie."

"Tell my Chica I said that dinner's on me tonight!" Esposito called as the female detective made her way down to the morgue.

Ryan watched as the elevator doors closed and then he sat up in his desk seat, giving the side of his head a scratch.

"Soo..." Esposito began speaking, turning his undivided attention over to his partner. "How was your date with Alexis? The words spill out to Castle yet?"

Kevin Ryan's whole face grew red, starting from his neck up to his forehead. It was result of embarrassment and anger bottling up inside him.

"We did _**not**_ go on a date!" Ryan half-whispered, half-shouted, if that was even possible. It was more of a whisper than a yell though.

"We were just meeting each other for lunch so we could discuss some things about her trip, okay? No funny business _at all_," He emphasized his words 'At all'.

"Course there wasn't, that's why you're still blushing. Don't worry, bro, your secrets are safe with me," Javier chuckled. He loved to bug the crap out of Kevin, but when he went too far, he'd back off.

Sitting up from his chair, Ryan emitted an exaggerated growl of frustration under his breath. "Whatever, Espo. I'll see you around. Call me if we've got a case," he said, trying to keep a calm voice.

Ryan was going to get some fresh air, and he needed it. His partner's words were gonna go to his head if he didn't settle down and relax. Most of the time, Kevin Ryan was a good-natured person, but when someone found a weak spot, and they kept poking and prodding, they'd see the bad side of him.

Ryan's way of venting out his anger was to go outside and get some air. He always seemed to just get calmer if he was outside. He didn't know how, but it was therapeutic in that way.

Even though he was supposed to be enjoying the outdoors, he paid attention to his surroundings; a cop sense, I guess you could call it. It was just normal for him to take note of everything he saw. Anything that could harm others, or him, was always carefully watched.

But today, there wasn't really much to pay attention to. Not a lot of people were out and about.

Ryan vacated the bench he sat down at and started going towards his car. He knew Esposito would call him if they got a new case, so he didn't have to worry about leaving the precinct for awhile.

(A/N: I really don't know if that is true or not, I'm just making things up as I go!)

Kevin unlocked the driver's door with his keys and hopped in. He turned on the cat's engine, and that was the last thing he remembered before he passed out.

The doors of the morgue opened up, and a detective walked through. Her green eyes were slightly glazed from being anxious, and she sat up on one of the autopsy tables and looked over at the Medical Examiner, who walked towards her.

"What's up, girl? You look stressed," Lanie said. She had been friends with the female detective for so long that she could read any of her facial expressions.

"It's Castle," Beckett finally said after a few moments.

"Castle? Girl, if you did somethin' with Writer Boy and didn't tell me, I'll-"

"Lanie, It's not like that," Kate cut Doctor Parish's running thoughts off. She sighed before continuing.

"He hasn't called me since yesterday, and I'm worried about him. I've tried calling him several times, but it's always went to voicemail."

Lanie studied her friend, and put a comforting hand on her shoulder before responding to her. "Kate, why don't you go over to his loft and check if he's there? Maybe he's having a writing fest, or doing something else important."

"But what if he's not?" Beckett asked, turning her head to gaze at her friend.

"If he's not, ask Martha or Alexis, they're bound to be there. Don't worry, everything will turn out fine," Lanie soothed her.

Beckett nodded slowly in a muted response. She knew she shouldn't be worried about Castle, but the past few days that she had with him had been...

Amazing. Extraordinary.

She finally knew that he was the one, and she wasn't going to let him go easily. Or at all.

**A/N: I wasn't sure how that was going to turn out, but it's fine. I just recently came up with the idea I started in this chapter, so we'll see how it goes.**

**I think I was a little "out of character" in the last part with Kate and Lanie... I think I made her more worried than I should have. -Than she would have been- But, I guess that's what I get from being a Caskett Shipper.**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't Castle or any of it's characters!**

A sleeping figure shifted in his sleep before awaking completely. He tried to move his arm up to rub his eyes, but he found it bound to the wall.

_What the...?_

Kevin Ryan's eyelids shot up, revealing his sapphire eyes. He surveyed the room. Something did happen, he just didn't know what.

"Crap," he cursed under his breath as he continued to look around the small space. It looked similar to the basement were Beckett and Castle were handcuffed together, but it was noticeably different.

It was a dark four-sided rectangular room with a locked door at the end of it. It was light enough to see one's own self, and someone else, but that was pretty much it.

Ryan moved his hand again to find the exact spot where he was chained. There was a hitch in the wall where the chain was attached to, and it linked down about two feet until it reached his wrist.

The detective glanced at his other hand. That one was bound too, but had a little more slack than the other hand. He looked over at Alexis, who was resting on his shoulder.

She looked peaceful.

Alexis also had her arms behind her back, so he figured that her hands were also chained to the wall.

How did we get here?

Ryan began to think back of the last thing he was doing.

_Esposito. Beckett. Precinct._

He was at the Precinct with Beckett and Esposito, but why? He had finished his paperwork the other day and had nothing better to do than check data banks all day.

That was all he remembered about the last thing he did. He wished he knew more, but you get whatcha get.

The redhead began to stir next to Ryan. She tried to shift over, but couldn't because of her bound hands. She momentarily blinked open her eyes and looked up at Kevin, her head on his shoulder.

"Kevin?" She said in a raspy voice, probably rugged from her sleep. She lifted her head and blinked a few more times. "Where are-" she cut off her words when she pulled her arms and noticed that she couldn't move them face.

"What the? Kevin, are you chained to the wall too?" Alexis's facial expressions told him everything. She was confused, sleepy, and wondering where the heck she was.

"Yeah. I've tried pulling one the chain, but it's no use," Kevin replied with a frustrated shake of his head. "Is there any type of lock on my wrists or the wall?"

Alexis scooted over closer to the Detective and took his left wrist in her right hand. She turned her head and inspected the brace that held the chain.

"No key hole or anything that I can see. It must be activated with some remote," Alexis reported to Kevin.

"Guess we can't pick the lock then," He sighed. "Whoever did this to us must be a professional kidnapper, or just thought the obvious."

Alexis moved her hand from Kevin's wrist down to his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "We'll get out of here," She promised. "It won't take my dad long to notice that I'm gone, -wherever the heck he is- and I'm sure Detective Esposito or Beckett will wonder where you've went."

Kevin nodded slowly, soon recoiling from the pain that shot all the way from his neck all the way down his body. "Alexis," he said, craning his head to the right. "Is there something on my neck?"

Still holding the detective's hand, Alexis looked over at Ryan's neck. She inspected the area, turning in at a few different angles to thoroughly examine it.

"There's a red mark right in the middle of a space from your shoulder to your hairline," Alexis reported. "Is there on one my neck? I think I felt something earlier, but I'm not sure," she said, tilting her head to the left.

Kevin released Alexis's hand and brushed her luscious red hair off her shoulder to take a look with the little chain length that he hand. He ran his fingers across her neck until her felt a bump underneath his fingers.

"Yeah, you've got one right here."

Alexis tried not to suppress a shiver from Kevin's touch that sent electricity down her spine. She steadied her voice before she suggested what she thought of the marks.

"I don't remember much before I got here. Maybe they injected us with something to make us forget what happened?" The redhead said, shifting in her sitting position.

"The injection was probably meant to knock us out too," Kevin agreed, taking his left hand down from it's resting spot on Alexis's neck and placing it down. "I just hope whatever they injected us with isn't poisonous."

Kate fumbled with the keys in her hands to find the correct one for the door she was in front of. She normally identified her keys easily, but the rush that coursed through her bones made her hurry. She got the right key and forced it into the keyhole. She turned the key to the right and unlocked the door with a click.

Kate's eyes scanned the room. She searched the area then hurried in. The writer wasn't anywhere in her sight.

"Castle?" She called, forcing her voice not to crack with worry. She called his name again, then listened intently. She could've sworn she heard something.

She heard it again coming from Castle's office. Beckett jogged into his office and looked around. She identified the noise as a muffled cry, but she didn't see the source.

A loud thump directed Kate's attention to the closet that was in the room. She went over to the closet door and jiggled the doorknob. It wouldn't budge.

"Castle, move back and shied your eyes, I'm going to bust the door down!"

She heard some movement from behind the door and readied herself to kick. Kate waited a moment to make sure Castle was prepared, then she performed a heavy kick against the door, putting all her weight against it. The door tumbled down and slivers of wood shot all over.

The detective kneeled down and flipped the figure over who was in the closet. A familiar face showed up along with Richard Castle's ruffled hair. A line of duct tape was across his mouth and Kate reached forward with a hand. She watched him nod, and with one quick movement, she ripped the tape off.

Rick held back a cry of pain when the duct tape was torn off, and he emitted a squeak instead.

"You came..." He sighed gratefully. He knew that she would rescue him, but he didn't know when. It seemed like he was in there for hours!

"Of course I did!" Beckett replied, smiling. She took out her pocketknife from her left pocket and began cutting through the duct tape that bound the writer's legs.

"I didn't know you had a pocketknife!" Castle said. "Kinky."

That earned a famous eye-roll from Kate. He always loved to tease her about anything and everything. Most of the time she would roll her eyes and ignore him, but sometimes he got a snark remark back from her. Sometimes it was a mix of both.

Beckett pushed the knife down and the tape broke with a snap. She figured Castle's arms were also bound at the wrists; it prevented him from escaping.

"Roll over," She ordered.

"What am I, your _dog_?" Castle remarked with a snort before rolling over.

"You very well could be," Beckett responded as she began to cut the duct tape on Castle's wrists. "You do follow me around all day."

"What breed of dog would you describe me as?"

Beckett smirked. That was an easy question. "A Cocker Spaniel."

"Why is that?" Castle asked as the tape around his wrists snapped apart.

"Because you have the attention span of one," Beckett replied, extending her arms out in order to pull him up.

"from none to a lot, how much attention is that?"

"Little to none."

Castle took Beckett's hands and she heaved him up. They continued to hold each other's hands as they spoke.

"Are you sure about that?" Castle said.

"Maybe," Kate responded, meeting his gaze.

"Is that an invitation?" Castle asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Possibly," Beckett said, leaning in and glancing at his lips.

They were so close to kissing when Castle pulled his head back and wondered aloud, "Wait... Where's Alexis?"

**Love it, hate it? Please review!**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.**_

_**Day 1:**_

"Can you tell what time it is?" Alexis asked the blue eyed detective. She wasn't exactly sure what time of day it was, but she figured it was later in the day.

"Around 5 or 6 PM, maybe?" Kevin suggested. Richard Castle was bound to notice that his daughter was gone by now.

Ryan flexed his hands and shifted in his spot. He was trying to see if the braces around his wrists would stretch so he could get them off, but nothing happened as a result.

"You know," Alexis started, turning her gaze from the floor to Kevin. "I used to watch this mystery/crime show with my dad, they were in handcuffs all the time, and they managed to escape by breaking their thumbs. The handcuffs would slip right off after they broke the small bone that was in their thumb."

"These aren't handcuffs, and it wouldn't make a difference if we break our thumbs. It would just make things harder," Kevin explained, holding up his left hand for Alexis to see. "I can't even move the brace by rubbing it against the wall; it's pretty tightly bound. I've even tried stretching the braces out, but that hasn't worked either."

"Well," Alexis pondered, trying to think of another way out. "We coul- no." she shook her head in despair.

"We could try and figure out where we are. It wouldn't do much, but it would do to pass the time," Ryan suggested.

"I guess so," Alexis sighed, gazing around the room. "We're probably in a basement. You see, there are no other doors except that one over there," she motioned toward the door on the wall in front of them. "and there are a few small windows that don't provide a whole lot of light."

"Or this could be an attic. They have the same ideas to it," Kevin said. "I wish there was some way to get these stupid braces off. They're stuck to my wrists like glue. Hah, I remember there was this one time where I had Javier wear my old wedding ring to attract ladies, but he couldn't get it off his finger until Beckett put lotion on it."

_Lotion!_

"Alexis, are you sure they took everything?"

"Yes," Alexis replied, nodding. "Everything except the clothes on my back."

"It wouldn't work anyways," Kevin muttered under his breath. "Agh, where are they?"

-Caskett-

"And where's Martha?" Kate added, backing away slightly.

"Oh, Mother's off getting some recommendations for her acting studio. She never stopped talking about doing that, and said she was going today," Rick replied without hesitation. "You're saying you didn't see Alexis anywhere?"

"Not while I was looking for you. Maybe she's off with one of her friends?"

"She would've told me if she was going anywhere. Let me try calling her," Castle reached into his right pocket and fumbled around for his phone. He looked in his other pocket and also had no luck. "Can I use yours? I must've dropped mine somewhere."

"Yeah, of course," Beckett retrieved her phone from her pocket and handed it over to her partner.

The author took the phone and punched in the numbers to his daughter's phone number. After several rings, there was no response.

"Nothing," Rick sighed. "Let me try again."

Again, there was no answer. Castle looked up at Beckett, worry filling his eyes. He always watched over Alexis like a hawk, how could this happen?

Beckett's thoughts raced a mile a minute, thinking of what happened. She couldn't have been kidnapped, could she?

No, she thought, keep the possibilities on the brighter side. There was no reason to assume the worst. Kate turned her train of thought to Rick's figure.

"Castle! Check your email, there might be something of value there!" She told him urgently.

Castle nodded and opened a cabinet in his work desk. He pulled out a laptop and flipped it open. The password screen popped up immediately, and he turned his laptop away so Kate couldn't see him typing in the password.

"And why can't I see your password?" Kate asked, folding her arms over her chest with a disapproving look.

"Confidential," Replied Castle. "I don't want you stealing my stuff or reading a

Nikki Heat before it's finished."

He kept his laptop turned so the detective couldn't see the password to his email either.

"Oh! There's an email... From anonymous. No return address too," Rick spoke the last words with a questioning tone.

"Open it and let me look," Kate said, now standing next to the writer.

Castle looked up at her and she rolled her eyes.

"Focus, Castle. The email."

Castle nodded and opened the email. He read the first part out loud. "We have y-" he stopped abruptly. He cleared his throat before continuing.

"We have your daughter. You have three days to pay the ransom and decide to give us the information we want, or she's dead."

-Caskett!-47 Seconds-

A strong hand pulled Alexis's head up so her chin was in the air. She was sitting on a chair with her hands tightly bound behind her.

"Where is she?"

Alexis figured that whoever was interrogating her knew the pressure points, how to make someone scream, and/or how to easily get information. The redhead knew nothing of what she was talking about.

A heartless hand grasped her wrist and began to pull it upward along her back and to her neck area.

"I'll ask again. Where is she?"

"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" Alexis said to the best of her ability, trying to ignore the pain the soared from her shoulder all across her back. She clenched her teeth together, determined not to give into the tortures.

"Where is my sister, you little rat!"

Alexis's breath came out as whimpers, her arm was getting twisted farther up her back and hurt a lot. "I don't.. I don't know!"

"How do you not know? You saw her yesterday!" The man jerked her arm up as far as it would go and Alexis couldn't help from emitting a cry of pain. He released the redhead's arm and circled her.

"How would I have seen her? I was with a friend most of the day and didn't notice anything unusual," Alexis said in short breaths. She knew the interrogator could do much worse than just twist her arm back.

The man let out a snort of disbelief and turned to a table of supplies. "Maybe this'll make you talk, eh?" he said to himself with an evil grin creeping along his face. He held up a pair of pliers.

What was he going to do with those?

The man pried open Alexis's mouth with his free hand with the pliers in the other.

_Oh no..._

Love it? Hate it? Please review!


	8. Chapter 8

**Day one, part two**

**Disclaimer: I Still don't own Castle, and its probably a good thing I don't ;)**

Detective Kevin Ryan awoke to a heavy figure leaning on his left shoulder. He blinked open his eyes and cast them toward the sleeping girl, or Alexis Castle. The detective's shoulder was drenched in something wet. Water? Tears maybe? Ryan lifted up Alexis's face by her chin with his fingers. What he saw definitely wasn't pretty.

"Oh my god. Alexis, your mouth," He spoke to her as if she was awake, but she was out cold; asleep from all the shock she received. Dried blood stained the areas around Alexis's lips.

As gently as he could, Kevin pulled the 19 year-old's jaw down so he could look inside to see what damage was done. The bottom row of teeth were fine, all in place, however, the two molars farthest back were missing on her top row of teeth.

Alexis needed to wake up. If her gums were still bleeding -and it was likely- then she needed to be able to make sure she didn't choke on her blood since her head was back.

"Lex, Alexis, wake up," Kevin murmured to the redhead. "wake up, Alexis. Please." He was pleading now, and he sounded like a kid worried sick about his dead or unconscious pet, but he didn't care. Alexis needed to wake up. He gently shook her shoulder as another attempt to wake her up.

Her eyes eventually fluttered open after a few minutes of pleading and shakes. She coughed and sat up, Kevin catching her with the little arm space that he had. His arms were still bound in place with a small amount of space to move his arms.

"K-Kevin...?" Alexis's voice was rasped, like someone who had just woken up from a nap, or sleep. Her eyesight moved to the detective's shoulder and she gasped. "Kevin, your shoulder, what's with all the blood?"

"It's not mine," Kevin Ryan assured Alexis, taking a corner of his shirt and pulling it. It tore, and he used one of his hands to hold his shirt as he pulled a long strip of it off. Kevin took the cloth with his hand and reached out to give it to Alexis.

Alexis took the strip of cloth and held it in her hand. "What's this for?" She did not remember that two of her teeth had been pulled and might still be bleeding. She just then noticed the metallic tang that invaded her mouth, and recognized it immediately.

"Two of your molars have been pulled out."

Alexis gasped again and poked a finger inside of her mouth. She quickly pulled them out after she winced from pain. "So... This is to make sure it stops bleeding?"

Kevin nodded as an answer to her question. "But first, I want to know exactly what happened, and how you left my sight without me knowing. You won't be able to speak with that cloth in your mouth."

Alexis nodded slowly before speaking up. "I don't remember all of it... It's mostly just a blur. I do remember someone asking where someone is.. His sister, I think. He tortured me by using pressure points first... Then he went to the teeth pulling. Everything went blank after that though. I told him I didn't know what he was talking about, but he ignored me by saying, "how could you not know? You saw her yesterday!". I don't know how I could've saw her, or how he knows that." She began to unconsciously shake, just thinking of the experience of torture.

"So we're kidnapped because we saw someone's sister. Maybe she went missing and one of his buddies saw us and her around. I don't know how we could've been suspicious," Kevin concluded.

Alexis nodded once to show she understood his meaning, then pressed the cloth up against her back teeth, at least the place where the molars should have been.

"Come here," Ryan said, scooting over to Alexis as far as his right arm length could reach, leaving his left arm with some space. Alexis moved over to Ryan's left side, closing her eyes as Kevin put his left arm over his shoulder. She leaned her head against his shoulder and sighed as a wave of comfort went over her.

"I will not let you out of my sight. You will not be being tortured again, not while I'm here to stop whoever's causing this madness. Go and sleep, blue-eyed beauty, I will watch over you no matter what."

The elevator doors to the precinct's upper level opened. Kate Beckett walked out first, followed by the infamous novelist, Richard Castle.

"Esposito,"

"Yo Beckett, Castle," Detective Javier Esposito swiveled in his chair, turning to the partners.

Kate sat at her desk and opened the site to Castle's email. Rick put in his email and password without a word or motion of hesitation.

"Javier, come check this out and see what you can conclude," Kate said, turning her computer monitor so the other detective could look.

Espositio read the email to himself in no more that 20 seconds. "Well, first off, there's no return adress, so whoever sent this wishes to remain anonymous. It doesn't say to to send the ransom money to, so you might be getting another email soon. "Your daughter"? Do they mean..."

"Yeah," Rick said quietly, but both people around him could hear.

"I can't deciper much from this. Ryan would probably say the same thing. Speaking of him, hold on and let me find him..." Esposito stood up and began the search for his own partner.

Castle kept refreshing his email, hoping that another message would come soon so they'd have more details to help. Nothing popped up in the time that Javier went to look for Ryan.

"I don't know where he is, I looked all over the precinct, but there's no trace of him. Even in the break room," Espositio said as he returned from his frantic search. "He's never usually this late, or late at all. I'm gonna head down to the gym and look for him. Call if you get anything, Beckett." and with that, the detective strode over to the elevator and waited for the doors to open so he could go to the gym.

"You don't think they got Ryan too?" Castle said, sitting down in his normal chair.

"Only you would think of that, Castle," Kate replied, clicking the left mouse button to refresh the whole page.

Castle wasn't making a joke. He wasn't playing angry birds to pass the time. He wasn't coming up with crazy theories (except for the one about Ryan also getting kidnapped). He wasn't annoying or getting on Kate's nerves in any way. Instead, he was tapping his foot like he was anxious.

Kate could understand that Castle was worried about his daughter being kidnapped and only having three days to live, but the female detective was sure that they could save her before anything disastrous happened.

"Kate," Rick's calling snapped Kate Beckett out of her imagination-land. "There's an email."

Kate lifted her gaze up to the computer and quickly opened the email. "The ransom to pay is One Million. If you decide not to pay it, then we will kill both of our victims. There are two days left. If you do pay, then drop the money in the red backpack at your house at the men's bathroom the Java Loft nearest your apartment. If we find out that you've got cops with you, then your daughter and her blue-eyed boyfriend will both be killed."

"Blue-eyed boyfriend? Alexis isn't dati-"

"Do they mean Ryan...?" Kate cut off Castle's rambling thoughts.

"Yo, Ryan's not at the gym either. I asked around and- hey, is that another email?" Esposito said, peering down at Kate Beckett's computer screen after coming up from the gym.

"One million, eh? That'll be tough to round up," Javier commented. "Blue-eyed boyfriend? Ryan?"

"Ryan and Alexis aren't dating though," Castle said, quite sure of himself. "She would've told me if she was. Wait, there's no red backpack at my loft...!"

"They probably dropped one off there. If so, then they know exactly where you live. Espo, stay here and see what you can do with the email. Castle and I are going to his place." Kate turned and started to go toward the elevator.

"Esposito, don't you dare change my password, or send dirty emails to anyone. That includes my editor," Castle told Esposito, pulling a finger under his neck to show if he did anything, then the Hispanic detective would be screwed. Metaphorically speaking, in trouble.

"Don't worry Castle, I won't do anything," Javier waved him off.

"Eh? So there is a red backpack here after all."

"Castle, this is serious." Kate let out a sigh before she continued. "You're staying at my place until we find Alexis. We can't have you in danger. Come on, grab some of your belongings, and let's go. We can't waste any time."

"Kate... Thank you."

**Well... How was it? I'm reallllllllyyy sorry for the long wait, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter :)**

**All reviews make my day!**


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